


we’d give each other different names

by stardustgirl



Series: we used to play pretend [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: (more implies than anything which is why I didn’t tag it but), (sort of?), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Based on a Tumblr Post, Episode: s02e17 Lake Laogai, Feelstember, Feelstember 2020, Fluff, Iroh talks his nephew up in the tea shop and you can’t convince me that’s not canon, Irony, Light Angst, Minor Jet/Zuko (Avatar), Mistaken Identity, Prompt Fill, Teashop Zuko (Avatar), Zuko Joins The Gaang Early (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:15:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26302552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustgirl/pseuds/stardustgirl
Summary: “Yeah, he’s a refugee,” Jet agrees, apparently oblivious to the swiftly rising tension within the group.  The Water Tribe girl raises a brow, crossing her arms doubtfully.“Uh, no he’s not,” she says, shaking her head.  “We knowexactlywho he is; his name’s—““Li.  Of the Earth Kingdom.”  Her glare darkens at his blatant lie.(Or, Jet introduces Zuko to some “new” friends.)(Prompt fill for “Firsts” for Feelstember.)
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Jet & The Gaang (Avatar), Jet & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: we used to play pretend [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1911082
Comments: 24
Kudos: 675
Collections: Feelstember 2020





	we’d give each other different names

**Author's Note:**

> This AU is based off of [this](https://appendingfic.tumblr.com/post/621574323454492672/stark-tony-au-where-jet-doesnt-find-out-that/amp) Tumblr post.

“Oh, and there’s someone you guys should meet.” Jet gestures, and they follow, albeit warily.

Zuko curses under his breath, quickly stepping back inside and locking the door to the back room of the tea shop. He leans back against it, heart pounding as he tips his head back. _Please please_ please _go anywhere but here—_

There’s a knock on the door, because of course there is. This is Jet, and this is the Avatar and his little gang, and Zuko is pretty sure that Jet’s now joined them in their world-hopping quest to further humiliate the traitor prince of the Fire Nation.

The doorknob jiggles. “Hey, Li? You in there?”

Zuko steps away from the door as silently as he can, slipping an apron on and sneaking out to the front room. His uncle is at a table, tray empty, enthralling the patrons around him with what’s probably a _very_ thrilling story of how he discovered some new type of tea.

“—we were, limping into the village as if we had been attacked ourselves! But my wonderful nephew found the local healer and explained to her what had happened, and if it hadn’t been for him, then surely I would have _perished!_ ”

The customers applaud politely, and, upon seeing him, Iroh pulls him closer. “And here he is, the hero himself!”

Okay, so maybe that isn't _quite_ how the story goes, but Zuko can live with a few lies if it means his uncle’s happy. He offers a tight smile, waving awkwardly at the shop’s inhabitants. “Uh, hello. Li here.”

He turns to Uncle as the patrons turn back to their tea. “I can take over up here. You’ve been working the front for a few hours now; go take a break. Besides, your tea is better than mine.” Iroh smiles kindly.

“I doubt that, Nephew. But if you’d like to make our customers feel at home, I would love to let you!” He passed Zuko the tray, smiling again and waving goodbye to the patrons before slipping away to the back. Zuko tries not to let his relief show.

“Mr. Tea Shop Worker! Mr. Tea Shop Worker!”

He turns at the call to see a boy, hardly more than six if he had to hazard a guess, nearly jumping out of his seat and waving a raised hand. Zuko approaches hesitantly.

“What can I get for you?”

“Oh, I already got my tea! I was just wondering if it’s really true that you saved Mushi’s life!”

The woman with the boy—she must be his mother—hides a chuckle behind her hand. “Ruo always loves your uncle’s stories,” she tells him, smiling. Zuko isn’t used to people smiling all the time like this. “He always begs me to stop here whenever we come by on our market trips.”

“That’s...great.” He isn’t sure what else to say. Socializing has never been his strong suit.

“But did you really save Mushi’s life?!” Ruo presses, eyes wide and open and earnest and so, so innocent.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, uh, I did.” The boy erupts into a smile, and Zuko can’t help but smile back. Then Ruo’s mother brushes hair out of his face, and Zuko’s smile slips.

_Mother carding her hand through his hair, telling him of the Dragon Emperor and his love while they sit by the turtleduck pond, Azula nowhere to be seen because Mai and Ty Lee are visiting today._

He blinks away the memory—faint impression more than anything—and clears his throat. Uncle had said he’d be happier if he tried to help others, tried to make others happy. It seems like reverse psychology more than anything; trying to make Father happy has brought him nothing but grief. But he’ll try it regardless. Making Uncle happy...that’s worth a lot.

“Tell me about the time you fought off a wild sabertooth moose lion!”

“Okay,” Zuko says. He attempts a small smile. This is one of Uncle’s tall tales that he knows by _heart._ “Uncle and I were traveling to come here, and after we passed through Gaoling, we had to go through—“

“Li!”

Zuko turns at the summons to see Uncle gesturing frantically. “I need your help! Some of the tea—“

“I’ll be right there, Uncle,” he calls back. He turns to Ruo. “Uh, sorry. I can finish when I get back, if that’s okay…?”

“Of course,” the woman says before Ruo can object. “Go help your uncle.”

He smiles awkwardly before hurrying to the back.

Uncle grabs his arm practically the second he’s inside and pulls him a few feet in. “Zuko,” he says, his voice so soft Zuko has to strain to hear, “what did you do to the Avatar this time?”

His heart sinks. _Oh no._

* * *

Zuko emerges from the back of the tea shop, wringing his hands. Jet’s leaning against the far wall, arms crossed, and that infernal stalk of wheatcane in his mouth. The Avatar and his group are nowhere in sight, thankfully. “Took you long enough, Li. Old man got you busy?”

“I’m supposed to be working right now,” he says in answer. “I don’t go on break for another few hours. What do you want?”

“C’mon, I want you to meet someone. Well, a lot of someones.” Jet pushes off from the wall, gesturing for Zuko to follow him with a lazy smirk.

As usual, Zuko does.

They turn a corner and Zuko slows to a halt. The Avatar’s group is at the far end of the alley, the Water Tribe boy and the earthbender sitting on crates while the monk watches on as Water Tribe 2.0 does some waterbending thing that’s supposed to be impressive.

“Hey, guys, this is Li. We met on the ferry over here!”

The earthbender points at him. “Hey, I know you! You’re that—“

“I doubt you do,” Zuko interrupts quickly. “I think I’d remember…” he trails off, gesturing toward Aang’s tattoos.

“Yeah, he’s a refugee,” Jet agrees, apparently oblivious to the swiftly rising tension within the group. The Water Tribe girl raises a brow, crossing her arms doubtfully.

“Uh, no he’s not,” she says, shaking her head. “We know _exactly_ who he is; his name’s—“

“Li. Of the Earth Kingdom.” Her glare darkens at his blatant lie.

“Katara, wait.” The Avatar gestures for the group to huddle and they do, whispering amongst themselves. Zuko shifts his weight, uneasy, before glancing at Jet.

“It’s been a while,” he says awkwardly after a long moment. The older teen nods.

“Yeah. Been...busy.”

Zuko nods. “Smellerbee and Longshot…?”

“They’re...around.”

He nods again. “Good, good. How’re they doing?”

“Uh, good. And...your uncle?”

“He’s good, likes the tea shop job.”

“That’s...that’s good.”

They fall silent again, and after another few moments, the group turns back to him. The Water Tribe boy steps forward, boomerang in hand. “This is Aang...the _Avatar,_ okay?” he says, speaking slowly and deliberately, like Uncle does when Zuko’s having a hard time with a firebending form.

“It’s...very nice to meet you, Aang,” Zuko answers, choosing each word with the same caution he uses around his father.

“Don’t you mean an _honor?_ ”

Zuko blinks at the comment, not registering it for a minute. When it finally does, he has to press his hands flat against his trousers to keep them from curling into fists. “Sure.”

“They’re looking for their bison,” Jet pipes up helpfully. Zuko remembers seeing flyers for the beast, now.

“A bison is...hard to hide.”

“Not in a city this big,” the waterbender says, studying him with the same clinical intensity they all are. “And _Jet_ here says that you know the Outer Ring pretty well.”

He nods, hesitant. “I do.”

“So you might know where someone could hide a bison, _right?_ ”

He hesitates, ideas immediately springing to mind. “...maybe?”

“Then you’ll help us find him, right?” The Avatar steps forward, his staff pointing at Zuko.

“Uh, sure?”

Aang nods, seemingly satisfied with his answer because he lowers his staff. “Thanks!”

“Aang, you’re not seriously—“

“No, he’ll help.” Zuko’s brow shoots up in surprise as the earthbender steps forward. “He was telling the truth. He’ll help us find Appa.”

_I will?_

“Sure, of course he will,” Jet says, clapping a hand on Zuko’s back with enough force to make him stagger forward a step. Jet’s shown interest in him for a while, sure, but it’s been weeks since he’s seen hide or hair of the older teen, so it’s a bit surprising that Jet’s ready to jump back into things as normal. “Right, Li?”

Right. He’s Li, not Zuko.

“Yeah. Yeah, sure, I...yeah.”

Oh, Agni, what has he gotten himself into this time?


End file.
